Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been urged to review the dates fixed by the Nigerian Army for its recruitment as well as the orientation of new members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The call was coming from a coalition of Muslim groups, Da’Wah Co-Ordination Coordination council of Nigeria, in a protest letter to the Presidency.
The group appealed to the Acting President to prevail on the Nigerian Army and the NYSC to shift the dates for the recruitment of the 76th intake and orientation programme, respectively, because “it would be inimical to the interest of Muslims who will be starting their annual fast this month.”
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, National President of the group, Mohammed Lawal Maidoki, said carrying out the two exercises during Ramadan period would divert the attention of Muslims “from the required attention of every Muslim in Ramadan of spiritual attention/dedication”.
Said he, “If the two exercises are allowed to go ahead, participants may have to stop fasting or break it or fail to qualify in the camp activities. We cannot understand why only muslim sensitivities will be treated with lack of consideration.
“We wish to remind Nigerian government and its parastatals such as the Nigeria Army and NYSC that Muslims are part of Nigeria and indeed constitute majority of its population”.
Insisting that the dates be adjusted, Maidoki added that: “Failure o do so may lead to advising Muslim leadership in Nigeria to boycott the camps and any other national activities of this nature during Ramadan.
“We equally call on the leadership of the national assembly to halt the camp and call to order the leadership of the Nigerian army and the NYSC.
“Furthermore, we call on all paramilitary outfits and MDAs of the country to respect Muslim rights and values in the interest of peace and harmony.
“Even in the western countries where Muslims are minorities, their rights are respected and protected”.